Washington Community Action Network

WE WORK TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC FAIRNESS IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A MORE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY CHARACTERIZED BY RACIAL, SOCIAL GENDER JUSTICE, WITH RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY, A DECENT QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOSE WHO RESIDE IN WA.

HEALTH CARE. IN 2021 MEMBERS DELIVERED 715 HANDWRITTEN LETTERS TO DEMAND LEGISLATORS DELIVER ON THEIR PROMISES FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL. THE FIELD CANVASS EDUCATED 11,689 NEW MEMBERS ON MEDICARE FOR ALL AND UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. THE PANDEMIC HAD A SURPRISING EFFECT ON OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, IN THAT, FIELD CANVASSERS EXPERIENCED PEOPLE OPENING THEIR DOORS MORE, BOTH BECAUSE OF THE ISOLATION FELT BY SO MANY AND THE HIGH PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN RECENT YEARS. WE ORGANIZED A FORUM WITH 40 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND 4 FEDERAL AND STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS ON NEXT STEPS TO UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE. GOVERNOR INSLEE APPOINTED 6 COMMISSIONERS TO THE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE COMMISSION, ALL OF WHOM WERE NOMINATED BY HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT, COALITION PARTNER HEALTH CARE FOR ALL-WA, OR BOTH. WASHINGTON CAN AND HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHTS GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY IS POISED TO HELP THE COMMISSION STAY TRUE TO THE GOAL OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN WASHINGTON STATE.

HOUSING. WE HAD 2 MEMBERS 2 STAFF PARTICIPATE IN THE HOUSING JUSTICE NARRATIVE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM CONDUCTED BY COMMUNITY CHANGE. THIS FELLOWSHIP TRAINED FELLOWS, WHO WERE LOW-INCOME RENTERS, ON RESEARCH AROUND RACE IN NARRATIVE WORK FELLOWS PLANNED THEIR OWN DIRECT ACTIONS MESSAGING USING TOOLS LEARNED DURING THE TRAINING. SIX WASHINGTON CAN MEMBERS CREATED LARGE BANNERS DROPPED THEM FROM 2 FREEWAY OVERPASSES OUTSIDE THE CLARK CO COURTHOUSE SERVING THE STATE LEGISLATURE WITH EVICTION NOTICES TO HIGHLIGHT HOW THEIR LACK OF ACTION IN THE HOUSING CRISIS WAS LEADING TO MASS EVICTIONS. ALSO WE JOINED THE STAY HOUSED, STAY HEALTHY COALITION PROVIDED COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT TO FOLLOW UP ON OUR 2020 EVICTION MORATORIUM SUCCESSES CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR STRONGER TENANT PROTECTIONS IN SEATTLE THROUGHOUT WA STATE. WE ATTENDED BIWEEKLY COALITION MEETINGS TO OFFER FEEDBACK ON MATERIALS, PUSH FOR A COMMUNITY-FORWARD VOICE RACE-CLASS MESSAGING CO-WROTE LETTERS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS THE MAYOR AS WELL AS PRESS RELEASES IN SUPPORT OF CONTINUING THE EVICTION MORATORIUM.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER WASHINGTON CAN FOCUSED ITS GET OUT THE VOTE EFFORTS ON THE SEATTLE CITY ATTORNEY RACE. WHILE DOING OUR GET OUT THE VOTE WORK IN LOW INCOME AND LOW VOTER TURNOUT PRECINCTS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AND THE FIELD TEAM SOON DISCOVERED THAT ONLY A FRACTION OF SEATTLE VOTERS KNEW WHAT CITY ATTORNEYS DID. THIS INFORMATION TRANSFORMED OUR GET OUT THE VOTE WORK INTO AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO INFORM VOTERS OF THE FULL RANGE OF DUTIES PERFORMED BY THE CITY ATTORNEYS OFFICE AND THE IMPACT THAT OFFICE HAS ON THEIR COMMUNITY. OUR OUTREACH WORK INCREASED THE VOTER TURNOUT IN THIS RACE IN OUR 31 TARGETED PRECINCTS.